Gambia

The Gambia officially the Republic of The Gambia is a country in Western Africa. It is the smallest country on the African continental mainland and is bordered to the north, east, and south by Senegal, and has a small coast on the Atlantic Ocean in the west.

The Gambia gained its independence from the UK in 1965. Geographically
surrounded by Senegal, it formed a short-lived federation of Senegambia
between 1982 and 1989. In 1991 the two nations signed a friendship and
cooperation treaty, but tensions have flared up intermittently since
then. Yahya Jammeh led a military coup in 1994 that overthrew the
president and banned political activity. A new constitution and
presidential elections in 1996, followed by parliamentary balloting in
1997, completed a nominal return to civilian rule. Jammeh has been
elected president in all subsequent elections including most recently in
late 2011.

Overview: The Gambia has sparse natural resource deposits and a limited
agricultural base, and relies in part on remittances from workers
overseas and tourist receipts. About three-quarters of the population
depends on the agricultural sector for its livelihood and the sector
provides for about one-fifth of GDP. The agricultural sector has
untapped potential - less than half of arable land is cultivated.
Small-scale manufacturing activity features the processing of peanuts,
fish, and hides. The Gambia's natural beauty and proximity to Europe has
made it one of the larger markets for tourism in West Africa, boosted
by government and private sector investments in eco-tourism and upscale
facilities. In 2012, however, sluggish tourism led to a decline in GDP.
Tourism brings in about one-fifth of GDP. Agriculture also took a hit in
2012 due to unfavorable weather patterns. The Gambia's re-export trade
accounts for almost 80% of goods exports. Unemployment and
underemployment rates remain high. Economic progress depends on
sustained bilateral and multilateral aid, on responsible government
economic management, and on continued technical assistance from
multilateral and bilateral donors. International donors and lenders
continue to be concerned about the quality of fiscal management and The
Gambia's debt burden.

international disputes: attempts to stem refugees, cross-border raids, arms smuggling, and other illegal activities by separatists from southern Senegal's Casamance region, as well as from conflicts in other west African states

refugees (country of origin):9,025 (Senegal)

human trafficking: The
Gambia is a source, transit, and destination country for women and
children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; Gambian women,
children, and, to a lesser extent, boys are exploited for prostitution
and domestic servitude; women, girls, and boys from West African
countries are trafficked to the Gambia for sexual exploitation,
particularly catering to European tourists seeking sex with children;
some Gambian trafficking victims have been identified in neighboring
West African countries and the UK; boys in some Koranic schools are
forced into street vending or begging